A serial killer with a difference is on the prowl in a small Virginia town in this darkly comic horror story. Brent Marken (Michael Biehn) is the sheriff of the city of Cherry Falls, a quiet community that suddenly has a big-city problem to… MoreA serial killer with a difference is on the prowl in a small Virginia town in this darkly comic horror story. Brent Marken (Michael Biehn) is the sheriff of the city of Cherry Falls, a quiet community that suddenly has a big-city problem to contend with when Marken discovers a murderer is on the loose. The killer is targeting teenage girls who attend the local high school -- and his victims are all virgins. This causes no small amount of anxiety for Brent's teenage daughter Jody (Brittany Murphy), who is not as ready for intimacy as her boyfriend Kenny (Gabriel Mann). Brent has personal problems of his own to deal with; his relationship with his wife Marge (Candy Clark) has hit an impasse, and he shares a dark secret with Tom Sisler (Joe Inscoe), the principal of the high school. Cherry Falls marked the American directorial debut for Australian filmmaker Geoffrey Wright; the cast also includes Jay Mohr, Caroline Perreyclear, and Rick Forrester. Cherry Falls enjoyed its first theatrical engagements in the United Kingdom, several months after it was first slated to open in the United States, thanks in part to the difficulty the producers had with the MPAA in securing an R rating for the picture.

Not bad for a post-Scream slasher with solid performaces through-out, a decent premise and just the right amount of humor. My biggest complaint is the lack of… MoreNot bad for a post-Scream slasher with solid performaces through-out, a decent premise and just the right amount of humor. My biggest complaint is the lack of on-screen violence. Sure there's some slices and dices here and there but for the most part it plays it too safe.

Kylie B

You've got to love a psychotic English teacher.

vieras esine

Could this move be any more predictable?

Sean Scobie

In a twist that no doubt looked better on paper it is the virgins who get it in this horror slasher in the Scream tradition. If only the movie had have been a… MoreIn a twist that no doubt looked better on paper it is the virgins who get it in this horror slasher in the Scream tradition. If only the movie had have been a little better crafted and the writing had of been a little less predictable. They use the "Kiss the Girls" formula for who the serial killer is: ie the actor you probably recognize who doesn't seem to be doing much.
I did like Brittany Murphy though, especially the way she would rabidly try to bite the killer.

Cassandra Maples

A teenage couple is killed while making out by the lake in small town Cherry Falls. A further murder points the police to suspect that someone is killing… MoreA teenage couple is killed while making out by the lake in small town Cherry Falls. A further murder points the police to suspect that someone is killing virgins. While the towns' teenagers prepare for a sex party to protect themselves, the sheriff's daughter, Jody Marken, follows a clue that may unmask the killer and her motives.
One of the spate of `knowing' teenage slasher movies, Cherry Falls got some publicity from it's twist on the usual horror cliché that `sex = death'. Pointed out in Scream, whenever you have sex in a horror movie you mark yourself out as a victim, however here the twist is that virgins will die and those having had sex will live. The film is quite enjoyable and has the odd tense moment, but quickly falls into line with every other horror cliché in the book ? right down to the big twist over the killer's identity and, true to Scream, it's a big leap!
The film is a little modern ironic but doesn't get much mileage out of it. More interesting to me was the angle that, in this day of AIDS and STD's, those HAVING sex were actually protected while those saving themselves and being careful were actually risking death. I'm not sure if this angle was thought of when making the film but it didn't get any significant air time or comment ? I guess the film only wanted to be ironic or post modern if it didn't involve any thought or effort. That said it still sort of works, even if it doesn't really stand out from the rest of the teen slashers (but then, what does?).
The cast are so-so. Murphy is OK in the lead and Biehn is a familiar face as her father. Jay Mohr has a small role but happily isn't awful. The rest of the teens tend to fall into high school stereotypes of jock, nerd, joker etc and only really serve to be victims rather than characters. There are no really gory moments but there are lots of quite cruel ones which happen just offscreen but are no less horrific for it.
Overall the film is OK but can't really do anything intelligent with it's unique twist. I knew it was clever to do things like this, but the film gets no mileage out of the wider ideals (AIDS etc) and quickly falls into being a standard teen horror movie complete with shadows, twisty end and so on. Still worth a watch if you like this sort of stuff but it really could have been better than this.

Dean King

A slighty different twist on the slasher genre.It's ok, far from great!

Henrik Schunk

It is great to see Brittany Murphy, she is a true sex icon in my opinion. However, the film just fails for many reasons. It follows the formula of slasher… MoreIt is great to see Brittany Murphy, she is a true sex icon in my opinion. However, the film just fails for many reasons. It follows the formula of slasher films, apart from the quirky idea that the killers is going after virgins instead of the other way around. However, that fact is not really used to its maximum potential. The worst thing about the film is, that you can tell who the murderer is by looking at the casting list, go ahead, try it, .... see ... it works, it is super obvious and that makes the whole tension disappear from the get go.
A turkey

Haley Anderson

Jay Mohr is sooooo creepy in this!

Luke Baldock

Maybe it's because this film is now 9 years old, but I really loved it. It's not perfect, by any means, but with 9 years of slashers and remakes this… MoreMaybe it's because this film is now 9 years old, but I really loved it. It's not perfect, by any means, but with 9 years of slashers and remakes this does stand out. It's smartest move is the killers MO. Having the killer target virgins, results in an interesting look at how the community deal with the situation. Nothing too in depth, this is a slasher, and a short one at that. But it's enough to make the film acceptably unique. The film also has a fantastic sense of humour, which plays out well throughout. The quick cuts of engravings on the school "Cherry Falls", "Virginia" and "Erected" were a nice touch and scenes such as the "CLASS DISMISSED" orgy runaway, had me giggling a treat. The film has been severely edited, which is too noticeable. What I can say is that, this is too short and could be expanded on further. Give Cherry Falls a chance and you may have a good time.

Jason Spencer

A little silly.

Lord Naseby

Well, it's a step up from my last one, but it really doesn't reach the level of scream or Black Christmas or anything like that.
Acting: They have… MoreWell, it's a step up from my last one, but it really doesn't reach the level of scream or Black Christmas or anything like that.
Acting: They have some decent actors in here. I am always a fan of Michael Biehn after Terminator and Aliens. The late-who-knows-if-she-could-have-been-really-great Brittany Murphy is in here too. The acting is not too horrible. At the very least, it goes beyond the typical "I'm gonna scream and wait for the rapidly approaching killer to get me" stuff. It's always nice to have a break from that. The teenagers in this one have a little personality to them and some of them you actually grow to like. That is rare for a film like this. it wasn't too horrible. It wasn't fantastic either but it was alright. 6.5/10
Plot: Now, this is one of the most original plots I have seen out of a slasher film. I know, there is still the underlying "killer kills everyone he/she/it gets his/her/its hands on" thing but the film doesn't rely solely on that like films such as Halloween 2. Granted, it was a plot that, in its very basic form, was going to be done sooner or later but it is still an original one. Glad another original plot exists to be honest. It wasn't perfect but it was decent. 7/10
Screenplay: Not too good. As with most films it is the weakest aspect of the film. But I suppose that it was alright. There were some good lines there were some bad ones. nothing that's going to make you cringe or that you're going to include on a list of top 100 movie quotes but eeh. whatever. 6/10
Likableness: I kinda liked it. It was an entertaining way to spend 1 1/2 hours or so. It wasn't a perfect film but it is better than the average piece of slasher film trash. 7.5/10
Final Score: 27/40 67% (D)
TRIVIA TIME: 1. Stephen Lang was originally offered the role of Sheriff Marken, but scheduling conflicts prevented him from being in the film. He later admitted that the only reason he wanted to do the part was to work with Brittany Murphy again. Ted Levine was also considered for the role of the Sheriff as well. The role eventually went to Michael Biehn. Ironically, Biehn was an early favorite for a military role in James Cameron's Avatar, but Lang ended up getting the part
2. The film was troubled by censor disapproval. It had to be submitted to the MPAA a total of five times before censors finally approved a cut.